


Dare to be Normal

by Delamour



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Gen, Normal Life, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 14:55:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8895202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delamour/pseuds/Delamour
Summary: Kara always wanted to be normal.





	

“I want a tattoo!”

Alex takes a deep breath and steels herself. “No Kara, you don’t!”  
It isn’t unusual for Kara to barge in on Alex while she’s doing homework, and she’s is generally flattered that Kara wants to share things with her, but … really! 

She cuts off Kara before she can object. “You can’t have a tattoo, Kara, because there isn’t a needle strong enough to do that. And you have to be 18 to even be allowed to get a tattoo!”  
There is no way she was going to tell Kara why she’d looked that up, that would just be encouraging her.

Kara just stands there and mopes, like she’s hoping that it will change anything. Alex tries to not feel sorry for her, but quickly realizes the futility, so she gets up and gives Kara a hug.  
“What would you get a tattoo of? Any boy’s name?” she teases.

“I thought about the symbol of Rao.” Kara looks out the window, a far-away look that Alex has learned to recognize as Kara thinking about Krypton. “It’s an important symbol, … but it’s also rather boring.” Kara chuckles and looks down on her cardigan. “I guess it looks a little like argyle.” Then she gets serious again. “I want something more … significant. I want space, the the sun, the moon and the stars, maybe a guardian angel, maybe … I don’t know. Just something me.”

“Sorry kiddo, I guess that’s not going to happen”. Alex ruffles Kara’s hair. “I can’t even draw on you with a sharpie. Unless you get Kal to fix it, like he pierced your ears, you’ll just have to settle for having a perfect skin.”

“It’s not _fair_ , Alex! I just want to be normal, and I can’t even do that!”

Alex wipes away a tear from Kara’s chin. “No, Kara, it’s not fair. It’s the truth, though. It’s impossible for you to get a tattoo, so just forget about it. Now, shoo! I need to get this done before dinner.”

* * *

Eight years later Kara is pissed. It’s been a crappy day. Make that a crappy week. _General_ Lane has been a complete ass. _Lucy_ Lane is trying to get back with James. Just _seeing_ those two together makes her blood boil. More than wanting James, which she does, she wants what those two have together - a perfectly normal relationship. She’ll never be normal. She lost everything that was normal, her family and friends, her mom and dad, when Krypton exploded. She’ll always be … different. And alone. And this _stupid robot just won’t stop_.

She pours all her frustration, all her _anger_ , into her heat vision. She can feel her cheeks burning like fire. She screams in both anger and pain. This stops now! 

The robot finally explodes and she drops to her knees. That actually felt good. Ms. Grant was right about releasing your anger, and frying robots beats screaming at your housekeeper.

…

Back at CatCo, Kara tries to pick up some broken glass. It cuts her. She ... bleeds?

…

The hologram at the DEO … she refuses to call it her mother … tells her that her powers are only temporarily gone. Her solar battery is depleted and she can be injured like everybody else. And this is how everybody feels all the time? Small aches, clothes that itch. Cold and heat. And she has to get to work too, without flying.

* * *

“Eargh. I hope it’s a slow day at work tomorrow.” Kara walks out of the DEO with Alex. Today she’s had the cold, broken an arm in an earthquake, stared down a gun without her invulnerability, disappointed Winn, and been assaulted by Astra and her goons. It’s in the middle of the night, and she hasn’t had a moment alone with Alex since this morning.

Kara almost makes it to the parking lot before she bursts out: “Alex, I got a tattoo!”  
Alex stares at her sister in disbelief. “You did _what_?”  
“This morning. Before work. I walked past a tattoo parlor and - it was really a spur of the moment thing - but I got in and got a tattoo. Just a small one. I couldn’t be late for work.”

Alex sighs. It’s late. It’s been a horrible day. People have died. Hank is a Martian, and she can’t tell Kara. And now this … “Kara! You …. You …. But what if people see it? The same tattoo on Supergirl and Kara Danvers, that could give it all away!”.

“I did think about that!” Kara blushes. “ ... so I put it somewhere where it won’t be seen.” She points to a place slightly below the tip of her belt. “The tattooist was really very professional about it.” And she giggles.

“You didn’t!” Alex gives up on being mad. It never really works anyway, and she’s too tired, so she just gives Kara a hug. “Congrats, kiddo, I guess it wasn’t impossible anyway!”

“You remember that?” Kara looks surprised. 

“I remember every time I’ve had to tell you that you can’t be normal, and I’m happy to have been proven wrong at least once. So, what is it? A boy’s name? A symbol of Rao?”

Kara smiles brightly. “It’s just a small sun, but it’s our sun, not Rao. I guess losing my powers reminded me just how much I owe it.”

“Did it hurt?”

“ _Oh_ yeah. Being normal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, you know!”

“Tell me about it!” Alex puts an arm around Kara and they walk away laughing.


End file.
